Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.
May 9, 1857 — In 1857, the United States was divided between those who wanted to see slavery come to an end and those who wanted to see it continue. Kentucky was no different.
The commonwealth itself was deeply divided, and tensions between the North and South put the state in the middle of the conflict. While the state was officially neutral, its economy was largely agricultural, and slavery played a significant role on large farms…